Shane Houghtaling, 14, left, son of Jennifer and Harold Houghtaling of Ruby, sits with his partner Dylan Warren, 12, son of Carrie Kahela-Warren and Dave Warren of West Park, as Warren demonstrates how the robot they designed during the Project STEAM Adventure Camp picks up a ball and places it over a wall. (Freeman photo by Tania Barricklo)

PORT EWEN, N.Y. -- The deputy superintendent of Ulster BOCES believes the success of a two-week robotics and programming camp this summer has planted the seeds of a more comprehensive science, technology, engineering, and math effort in the future.

Laurie Cassel said a small portion of a $250,000 grant obtained by state Sen. John Bonacic, R-Mount Hope, was used to subsidize research and materials to support the program, and BOCES officials want to ensure "we don't lose our momentum" as they plan more activities.

BOCES Superintendent Charles Khoury has said the program was intended to be a first step toward BOCES becoming a high-level science, engineering, math and technology hub for member school districts.

What organizers called the "Project STEAM Adventure Camp" served 43 middle school students from Ulster County districts this summer. Students spent a week working on creating robots and a week programming computer games.

Advertisement

One of the main projects on which students worked was the creation of VEX Protobots, designed for a game in which students threw small balls over a wall or dropped the balls into a container. Students said they followed a basic outline, and after creating the base of the robot, used their own designs.

Teacher Mark Harris estimated students worked on the robots six hours per day for a week before switching off to the programming part of the camp and, in the process, they programmed the controllers themselves.

Harris said he teaches 11th- and 12th-graders the same materials in his manufacturing technology and robotics classes, although in more depth because he has more time, and he hopes the initiative will expand into a more comprehensive one and perhaps a robotics club.

Students who were involved were starting to learn some marketable skills, he said, noting many manufacturers are increasingly using robotics for loading and unloading machinery in assembly lines.

"I definitely see this as a growing field," said Harris. "I have companies coming to me through the school year looking for robotic welding (students), which is similar programming, so these kids are getting a jump start on that."

Emily Peterson and Arianna Ranalli, Highland school district seventh-graders, recalled working on a solar car during the camp, constantly tearing the car apart and rebuilding it to make it work and optimize its speed. Their team ended up with the fastest time, clearing 40 feet in 5.8 seconds.

Andrew Taylor, who is Ulster BOCES' coordinator of model schools and distance learning supervisor, said the anecdote is an example of students learning lessons about abstract topics like gear ratios without even necessarily realizing it when it would be difficult to generate interest in the topic among many students in a traditional classroom lecture.

Among students who were designing computer games, Evan Odden, who starts seventh grade in Highland this year, created a game called "Treasure Hunter" that could be described as "Super Mario Bros" for the old Nintendo Entertainment System meets the film "Raiders of the Lost Ark."

His game had three levels through which players advance by collecting items to advance to ensuing levels, with the goal being to get a treasure chest at the end. Odden was considering creating more levels and perhaps a sequel.

Taima Smith, who teaches graphic arts and game design classes for BOCES, said she initially thought she would have to simplify some material for her younger-than-usual crowd, but her students picked up the material quickly.

In her part of the camp, students created a brick-breaker game, followed by a challenge to create a game with the theme about astronauts on Mars, and a "free form" game on topics of their choosing like Odden's "Treasure Hunter."

A dozen teachers from Ulster BOCES member districts participated, with the idea that they will bring back lessons to create project-based learning opportunities in their schools.

If one of the main ideas behind the program was to generate some interest in science, technology, engineering, and math among local students, educators involved with the program found a receptive audience.

Highland seventh-grader Devan Bugbee, for one, said on the last day of camp that he wants to someday be a computer engineer for NASA.